Sexual risk behavior among HIV-positive persons in Jamaica

Associations between forced non-consensual first-sex and HIV among sexually active women in the Kingdom of Eswatini

Studies continue to underscore the profound impact of sexual violence on women's health. Yet, little is known about the impact, via a complex matrix of behavioural and social factors, of first intercourse, namely forced non-consensual on HIV status, particularly among sexually active women (SAW) in low-income countries where HIV prevalence remains high. Using a national sample from Eswatini, we employed multivariate logistic regression modelling to estimate the associations between forced first-sex (FFS), subsequent sexual behaviour and HIV status among 3555 SAW aged from 15 years to 49 years. The results found that women who experienced FFS had a greater number of sexual partners compared to those who had never experienced FFS (aOR = 2.79, p < .01), although there were no significant differences in condom use, early sexual debut and casual sex involvement between these two groups. FFS remained significantly associated with a higher risk of having HIV (aOR = 1.70, p < .05) even after controlling for risky sexual behaviours and various other factors. These findings further reinforce the relationship between FFS and HIV, and suggest that addressing sexual violence is a critical component of HIV prevention among women in low-income countries.

Untold Risk: HIV Transmission Behaviors in Miami's Historically Black Communities

Advances in HIV prevention therapies have led to significant reductions in HIV transmission across the USA. However, these resources have not been equally utilized across all populations, with Black communities in the Southeastern USA experiencing among the greatest HIV disparities in the nation. Tailoring HIV programs to align with the cultural norms of minority communities is one approach that can increase uptake of HIV prevention services. However, accomplishing this requires a rich understanding of the unique risk factors and the context of HIV transmission among men and women within culturally distinct communities. To further our understanding, we examined HIV risk behaviors among Black adults living in geographic HIV hotspots of Miami-Dade County. Between December 2016 and April 2019, data on HIV risk behaviors use a standardized HIV assessment developed by the Florida Department of Health. Chi-square and t-test analyses were conducted to examine differences in population demographics and risk factors, and logistic regression was used to test for predictors of HIV status. Results indicate that a significant portion of participants had prior experience with HIV testing, a known protective factor against HIV transmission. Despite this, much of the sample also reported recent engagement in high-risk sexual behaviors. These findings emphasize the need for intervention development within the context of population-specific behaviors. Future research should further consider the importance of transmission behaviors among clusters of demographically similar populations at high risk for or living with HIV.

Risky sexual practice and associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS receiving antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The risky sexual behavior of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) may impose a risk of transmitting the disease to their partners and increase Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of risky sexual behavior and associated factors among PLWHA receiving [Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)] in Ethiopia.

Methods

To identify both published and unpublished research articles, systematic searches were performed in PubMed, HINARI, Medline, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. The review was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of risky sexual practice and its associated factors among PLWHA receiving ART in Ethiopia were included. Two authors independently extracted all necessary data using a standardized data extraction format prepared in Microsoft Excel and exported to STATA version 14 statistical software for further analyses. The Cochrane Q test statistics and I² test were used to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. Since the included studies exhibited considerable heterogeneity, the random-effects meta-analysis model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence of risky sexual practice which was determined by dividing the total number of PLWHA with risky sexual practice practices by the total number of PLWHA on ART in the study and multiplied by 100. Furthermore, pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was determined for the association between determinant factors and risky sexual practice.

Result

In this study, 2351 articles were identified from different databases, and fifteen articles were selected for final systematic review and meta-analysis. In Ethiopia, the pooled prevalence of risky sexual practices was 43.56% (95% confidence interval (CI):35.51, 51.62). Discussion about safe sex with sexual partner/s [AOR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.92] and having multiple sexual partners [AOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 0.53, 6.84] were factors significantly associated with risky sexual practice in Ethiopia.

Conclusion

A significant proportion of respondents engaged in risky sexual practices. Multiple sexual partners and a lack of discussion about safe sex are linked to a higher prevalence of the risky sexual practice in Ethiopia. It is critical to raise awareness about safe sexual practices during health education and counselling services and to encourage clients to freely discuss safer sex practices with their sexual partner/s at their antiretroviral therapy (ART) appointments as part of their follow-up care.

Protocol registration

The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered at PROSPERO (record ID = CRD42021274600, 25 September 2021).

Gender differences in the association between childhood sexual abuse and risk behaviors among people living with HIV in Haiti

Research shows that in the Caribbean one-third of people living with HIV continue to engage in unprotected sexual practices. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and HIV-related risk behaviors have been found to play a contributory role in HIV transmission. We aimed to analyze gender differences in the association between CSA and substance use and sexual risk behaviors among Haitians living with HIV. A total of 276 HIV-positive individuals participated in this study with 56% experiencing sexual abuse during childhood. Results showed that participants who experienced CSA had increased odds of hazardous drinking compared to those who did not experience CSA; men (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2-7.3) and women (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.6). While, marijuana use was only significantly associated in women (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.1-13.5). For sexual risk behaviors, unprotected sex was significantly associated in both men (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.3-7.1) and women (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-7.7) who experienced CSA. Results of this study underscore the need for further research to better understand the role of gender in the relationship between CSA and risky behaviors among PLWH.

Hypothesis of design of biological cell robot as human immunodeficiency virus vaccine

High genetic variability of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been a major intractable challenge to the practical design of vaccines. But a recent pioneer study published in PNAS Xenobots, is likely to revolutionize HIV prevention as it presented the world's first living robot made of cells. In the advent of this discovery, we herein discuss the possibility of using living biological cell robots to target HIV-infected T lymphocytes, and the prospects of this approach being a new HIV vaccine. We capture the current research status and trend of advances in biological cell robots' design as a new HIV vaccine. The key differences between this novel vaccine and other HIV vaccines are highlighted.

Health related behaviors among HIV-infected people who are successfully linked to care: an institutional-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

By the end of October 2019, there were 958 thousand people were reported living with HIV/AIDS in China. Unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, using illicit drugs and no physical activity have been found to mitigate the positive impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on viral load and HIV-related quality of life. Moreover, risky sexual behavior among HIV-positive persons places their partners at risk for HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted infections. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of unhealthy behavior of people living with HIV/AIDS and related influencing factors, particularly those that are closely connected with HIV infection and ART effects.

METHODS

An institutional based cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Beijing and Yunnan Province. The following information was included in the questionnaire survey: social-demographic characteristics, health behavior information, sexual risk behaviors. Binary logistic regression model was conducted to analyze the influencing factors of unhealthy general health behaviors and risky sexual behaviors.

RESULTS

In total, 2575 PLWHA were included in the study and 78.3% (2017/2575) were male. For the general health behaviors, 34.2% (987/2544) smoke; 33.8% (870/2575) drank alcohol and 2.3% (49/2134) reported the use of illicit drugs in the previous 6 months. From the sexual behaviors perspective, 59.0% (1519/2575) had sex in the previous 6 months. Among people who had sex, 92.0% (1398/1519) had fixed sexual partners. Among those with no fixed sexual partner, 38.0% (46/121) had more than three partners. Among men who had sex, 34.7% (448/1292) reported having sex with men in the previous 6 months and 16.7% (75/448) of these had group sexual activity. Among participants, 72.2% (1053/1458) used condoms every time they had sex while 6.4% (94/1458) of people never used condom. Male people living with HIV/AIDS were more likely to have sexual risk behaviors (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.208, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.147-4.252) and unhealthy general health behaviors (adjusted OR = 2.029, 95% CI: 1.480-2.783). The odds of higher risk sexual behaviors was 1.546 times (95% CI: 1.302-1.827, P = 0.001) greater among participants who drank alcohol compared with their non-drinking counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

PLWHA is a group that is vulnerable to problematic health behaviors, especially for men who were more likely to drink alcohol, have more sexual partners, more sexual risk behaviors including group sexual activity, not using condoms and using drugs. Therefore, interventions focusing on gender-specific risk behaviors reduction for people living with HIV/AIDS are now necessary to control the spread of HIV infection and improve the efficacy of antiviral treatment.